Acts of Living
October 1–December 31, 2023
The Hammer Museum announced today the 39 artists, collectives, and organizations participating in the upcoming Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living. This is the sixth iteration of the Hammer’s biennial exhibition highlighting the practices of artists working throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Organized by curators Diana Nawi and Pablo José Ramírez with Luce Curatorial Fellow Ashton Cooper, the exhibition is on view October 1–December 31, 2023. The presenting sponsor for the exhibition is Bank of America.
Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living takes its title from a quote by the renowned Los Angeles artist Noah Purifoy, which is inscribed on a plaque at the Watts Towers: “One does not have to be a visual artist to utilize creative potential. Creativity can be an act of living, a way of life, and a formula for doing the right thing.” Purifoy’s idea of the centrality of creativity as a guidepost not only for one’s artistic work, but more broadly for one’s life, echoes the breadth and meaning of artistic practices gathered in this exhibition. Made in L.A. 2023 situates art as an expanded field of culture that is entangled with the everyday, community networks, queer affect, and indigenous and diasporic histories.
Proposing a wide-ranging network of artistic affinities and legacies through intergenerational constellations, Made in L.A. 2023 investigates shared visual and material languages. The exhibition will focus on ways of working that take cues from vernacular aesthetics, the language of urban visual culture and domestic intimacy, materials and processes that are rooted in tradition, and expansive archival and collective practices. Taken together, these practices suggest art can be an act of preservation and memorialization as well as a space for playfulness, satire, and sheer wildness.
Participants include: Marcel Alcalá, Michael Alvarez, AMBOS: Art Made Between Opposite Sides, Jackie Amézquita, Teresa Baker, Luis Bermudez, Sula Bermúdez-Silverman, Jibz Cameron, Melissa Cody, Emmanuel Louisnord Desir, Victor Estrada, Nancy Evans, Pippa Garner, Ishi Glinsky, Vincent Enrique Hernandez, Dan Herschlein, Jessie Homer French, Akinsanya Kambon, Kyle Kilty, Young Joon Kwak, Kang Seung Lee, Tidawhitney Lek, Los Angeles Contemporary Archive (LACA), Maria Maea, Erica Mahinay, Mas Exitos, Dominique Moody, Paige Jiyoung Moon, Esteban Ramón Pérez, Page Person, Roksana Pirouzmand, Ryan Preciado, Devin Reynolds, Miller Robinson, Guadalupe Rosales, Christopher Suarez, Joey Terrill, Chiffon Thomas, and Teresa Tolliver.
Mohn Awards
Funded through the generosity of Los Angeles philanthropists and art collectors Jarl and Pamela Mohn, The Mohn Award (100,000 USD) and the Career Achievement Award (25,000 USD) will be selected by a professional jury, and the Public Recognition Award (25,000 USD) will be determined through a public vote. All the artists in the exhibition are eligible to receive the awards.
Catalogue
Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue that includes essays from each curator, 39 commissioned artist entries that speak to each artist’s broader practice, and a photo essay by participating artist, Vincent Enrique Hernandez. The catalogue also includes an excerpt from Guadalupe Rosales’ forthcoming publication, East of the River. The catalogue is designed by Los Angeles-based designers IN-FO.CO and distributed worldwide by DelMonico Books/Prestel.
Credit
Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living is organized by curators Diana Nawi and Pablo José Ramírez, with Ashton Cooper, Luce Curatorial Fellow.
Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living is presented by Bank of America.
The exhibition is made possible by the Mohn Family Foundation and members of the Hammer Circle. Major support is provided by Mark Sandelson, and The Fran and Ray Stark Foundation. Additional support is provided by Bill Hair and the Pasadena Art Alliance. Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
